Dodgers Interested In Jose Guillen
3:23pm: The Dodgers' interest in Guillen is "thin," according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
1:32pm: The Dodgers have "strong interest" in Jose Guillen for a part-time role, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas. He adds that the Dodgers might wait for Guillen to be released, as the DH/outfielder was designated for assignment by the Royals five days ago. The Giants are the only other team known to have some measure of interest in Guillen.
The Dodgers are 5.5 games out of the wild card, but it is surprising to see them showing interest in another outfield type. The current group includes Scott Podsednik, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Reed Johnson, and Jay Gibbons. Manny Ramirez is on the DL with a calf injury.
Guillen, 34, is hitting .255/.314/.429 with 16 home runs in 437 plate appearances this season. The Royals are expected to assume most of his remaining pay one way or another.
Royals Sign Venezuelan Shortstop For $1.1MM
The Royals officially signed Venezuelan shortstop Humberto Arteaga for $1.1MM, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Royals like the 16-year-old’s quickness, positioning and running speed. Arteaga has a compact swing, so the club expects him to make contact and produce lots of line drives, though his power potential seems limited.
As Badler points out, Arteaga joins Adonis Cardona (Blue Jays), Ariel Ovando (Astros), Renato Nunez (A’s), Phillips Castillo (Mariners) and Danry Vasquez (Tigers) in the group of international prospects who have signed for more than $1MM this summer.
The Royals have been spending big on draftees and international players. Last year, for example, the club committed millions to both Noel Arguelles and Wil Myers.
Odds & Ends: Garcia, Guillen, Dunn, Reds
Links for Monday night, as Brandon Phillips' choice words make this week's Reds-Cardinals series that much more intriguing…
- Freddy Garcia told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he would like to return to the White Sox in 2010 if there's room in the team's rotation.
- Talks between the Royals and Giants about Jose Guillen are not progressing noticeably, but not completely dead, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson believes the Nationals should sign Adam Dunn to an extension if they can't find a player who can hit and play defense.
- The Reds agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Olivel Florentino for $250K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
- Bobby Cox tells MLB.com's Steve Gartner that Alex Gonzalez has been excellent on defense since the Braves acquired him for Yunel Escobar last month.
Greinke Pessimistic About Royals’ Rebuilding Plan
Though "some of the best prospects in the minors" are in the Royals organization, K.C. ace Zack Greinke expressed doubt that these youngsters will develop quickly enough to help the team while he is still wearing Royal blue. Greinke told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that "there’s no reason for me to get real excited about it…because the chance of more than one of them making a major impact by the time my contract is up is pretty slim.”
While Greinke stopped short of saying he wants out of Kansas City, he said that "it’s been six years with me, and most people (who are Royals fans) have been through a lot more than I have. But for me, it’s the third complete re-start/rebuilding phase….I like Kansas City….It’s a town that fits me pretty well. But I don’t know…at least put a team together that has a fighting chance (to win).”
These aren't the inspiring words that the Royals want to hear from their star pitcher, and it furthers speculation that a Greinke trade might be a key piece of K.C.'s (latest) rebuild. The Royals were at least listening to offers for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before the trade deadline, and perhaps in the wake of the Cliff Lee deal were wondering what their own ace might draw on the market. Greinke's contract runs through 2012 and he is set to earn $13.5MM in each of the next two seasons. It's a reasonable price for a top-line starter who has posted a 3.18 ERA and 3.78 K/BB ratio since 2007.
As Dutton points out, Greinke could just be venting in the midst of yet another losing season. But Greinke does make the logical point that even if the likes of Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas eventually live up to expectations, they probably aren't going to be the type of instant breakout stars that can lead a young team to earlier-than-expected success. The Royals have been openly shopping their veteran players this season and should this strategy continue, trading Greinke sometime before the 2012 trade deadline could provide the final influx of talent necessary to finally turn Kansas City into a winner.
Royals Designate Jose Guillen For Assignment
5:38PM: Good news and bad news for Guillen. San Francisco may still have an interest in him, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants are "discussing" making a move for the outfielder. The bad news comes from an anonymous executive who told Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) that "no contender" should go after Guillen since only Milton Bradley is considered to have a worse "personality/clubhouse rep."
12:55PM: The Royals designated Jose Guillen for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The team, which called up Philip Humber in a corresponding move, now has ten days to determine Guillen's future. A trade seems likely, though a release is possible.
The 34-year-old drew interest from the Giants and other clubs before the trade deadline. Since the deadline, Guillen is hitless in 19 at bats, so he hasn't helped his trade value this week. After the Royals traded Scott Podsednik, GM Dayton Moore told reporters that he'd consider dealing players who are on the brink of free agency.
Guillen has $3.8MM remaining on his contract before he hits free agency this winter. Despite his recent slump, he has 16 homers and a .255/.314/.429 line thanks to strong performances in April and June.
Stark On Padres, Manny, Wandy, Harang
The Rangers appear to be headed toward stability, but they added $4.6MM in payroll before the trade deadline and, as ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, that left some rival executives unhappy. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:
- The Padres had asked the Cardinals about Ryan Ludwick more than once leading up to the trade deadline.
- GM Jed Hoyer had also inquired on Jake Westbrook and even Roy Oswalt.
- When the White Sox called the Dodgers to ask about Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers ended the conversation quickly. That didn't stop the Rays and two other American League teams from calling the Dodgers, however. We should note that GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that he only fielded one call about Manny (Twitter link).
- Not one team pursued Jose Guillen seriously before the deadline. The Royals designated the outfielder for assignment today, so we'll see in the next ten days if any teams have mild interest.
- Joe Beimel drew lots of interest last weekend, but the Rockies never seriously shopped him.
- A number of teams tried to acquire Wandy Rodriguez, including the Twins, Reds, Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays.
- The Reds tried to determine interest in Aaron Harang, so they could attempt to move him in August if he returns from the DL and proves that the back spasms that sidelined him are no longer an issue.
Waiver Trade Candidates: AL Central
The current AL Central picture: the White Sox and Twins are contenders, the Tigers are in the gray area, and the Royals and Indians are out of it. Waiver trade possibilities:
It's been an up-and-down year for White Sox closer Bobby Jenks; would he be claimed despite a $7.5MM salary? Would the Sox pull him back? I'd expect Scott Linebrink and Mark Teahen to clear waivers, although deals seem unlikely. Mark Kotsay and Tony Pena could be expendable in minor trades.
Twins such as Nick Punto, Nick Blackburn, and Brendan Harris should clear waivers, though Punto can't pass through until he returns from the DL.
Brandon Inge may return from the DL from a broken hand this week, and probably would clear waivers. Carlos Guillen, dealing with a calf strain, should clear if he returns from the DL this month. Jeremy Bonderman, Johnny Damon, Jhonny Peralta, Gerald Laird, and Brad Thomas are others who might make it through waivers. If the Tigers are out of it and one of these players is claimed, trimming a few hundred thousand dollars might be appealing.
Royals righty Gil Meche will attempt to finish the season as a reliever rather than undergo shoulder surgery, but it's hard to say if he'll return from the DL this month. Jose Guillen is a lock to clear, and perhaps a deal can be worked out. We'll be curious to see what happens when Yuniesky Betancourt, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, Willie Bloomquist, Wilson Betemit, and Bruce Chen hit the wire. Bloomquist may go.
The Indians' Travis Hafner will clear waivers and stay put, if he's activated from the DL for should inflammation later this month.
For our primer on the waiver trade process, click here.
Odds & Ends: Ankiel, Ohman, Tigers, Mets, Rangers
Links for Sunday, as a handful of players suit up for new teams….
- Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth are happy to be playing meaningful games with the Braves, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
- Will Ohman had a hunch that he would be moved before the deadline, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- The Tigers have yet to make a blockbuster deadline deal under GM Dave Dombrowski, writes Steve Kornacki of MLive.com.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) thinks it's very likely that the Mets will sign their first round selection, pitcher Matt Harvey. However, Callis doesn't feel that the pitcher is worth going over slot for.
- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban could be putting himself in position to buy the Rangers, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- Cristian Guzman initially vetoed a deal to the Rangers, but changed his mind, according to Anthony Andro of the Dallas Morning News. MASN's Ben Goessling notes that the Nationals will pay for the rest of Guzman's salary this year (approximately $2.78MM), but will also receive $1.1MM from the Rangers.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney looks back on the deadline deals in his latest Insider-only blog, writing that "what in the world was Washington thinking?" was a question frequently asked by frustrated rival executives.
- The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin says that the price of bullpen help was too steep for the Red Sox, who made "competitive offers" on Scott Downs, Brandon League, and Brian Fuentes.
- Daniel Paulling of the Kansas City Star reports that Gil Meche won't have season-ending surgery after all, since doctors told the right-hander it would have kept him out of action in 2011 as well.
- The Brewers were never close to making any trades, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Salty, Braves, Cards
Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- The Red Sox scouted Jarrod Saltalamacchia hard before acquiring him this afternoon, and they feel that he is throwing better and will benefit from a change of scenery. 18 months ago the cost for Salty was Clay Buchholz, so they feel he's worth the gamble considering the uncertain futures of Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek.
- The Braves didn't need either Kyle Farnsworth or Rick Ankiel, but picking up both improves their depth considerably. Ankiel will be the regular center fielder against righties, platooning with Melky Cabrera, while Farnsworth will help lessen the burden on Takashi Saito and Jonny Venters. The Braves are clearly going for it in Bobby Cox's final season.
- It seems odd that the Cardinals would trade Ryan Ludwick given their offensive inconsistency this year, but the team likes what Jon Jay has done and they'll save big when Ludwick goes to arbitration for the final time next season.
- Relative to its competition, no team did as poorly as the Mets at the deadline. They were outbid for Ramon Ramirez, and the Cubs wanted no part of a Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez for Carlos Zambrano swap. The Cubbies are hopeful that Big Z will come back and rebuild his value down the stretch.
Odds & Ends: Duffy, Tigers, Yankees, Reds, Red Sox
Some leftovers in the wake of another trade deadline…
- I'll be appearing on Sporting News Radio at 8:25pm PT tonight to talk about the deadline. You can listen in here.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark named his trade deadline winners and losers, with the Rangers, Padres, and Yankees among the teams earning praise.
- The Phillies released Triple-A outfielder Chris Duffy, reports Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Steve Kornacki of MLive.com that he "had a chance to do something surprising and big," and that it was like "getting the wind knocked out of you" when it fell through. He didn't elaborate any further, so we'll have to keep playing the guessing game.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post says the Yankees took on $4.8MM at the deadline, more than any other team (Twitter links). The bankrupt Rangers came in second at $4.1MM.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that he was working on some deals in recent days, but they "fell apart at the end."
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets the Red Sox finished second in the Kerry Wood race, ditto the Rays and Lance Berkman, both of whom ended up with their biggest rival.
- Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider tweets that Yunesky Maya's deal with Washington will be made official within the hour.
- The Padres inquired about Jacoby Ellsbury before picking up Ryan Ludwick, but were told he's not available according to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes (Twitter links).
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Dodgers took on about $3MM with all their deadline moves. Their financial situation has been in question basically all season.
- Chad Tracy has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Yankees and is now a free agent, tweet Conor Foley with the Triple-A Scranton Yankees.
- Barret Loux has joined the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League according to the team's official Twitter feed. Loux was the sixth overall pick in last month's draft, but recently failed his physical with the Diamondbacks and could be looking to rebuild his stock.
- The Royals traded minor league catcher Jeff Howell to the Twins for future considerations according to milb.com's official Twitter feed.